Consumer News: The psychology that's quietly costing shoppers hundreds of dollars

Researchers found a substantial safety advantage in four cities

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Waymos driverless vehicles were involved in 68% fewer police-reportable crashes per mile than human-driven vehicles in the same areas and years, an IIHS study found.

• Their rate of crashes involving injuries was 81% lower, though the results cover Waymos operations in four cities rather than all self-driving vehicles.

• Researchers say better reporting of crashes and miles driven is needed to monitor safety as robotaxi services expand.

Waymos driverless cars were involved in fewer crashes than human-driven vehicles in the places where they operated, according to a recent study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Measured per mile traveled, Waymo vehicles operating without a human driver had a 68% lower rate of crashes that a person would typically report to police. Their rates of crashes involving injuries and single vehicles were 81% and 85% lower, respectively.

The researchers compared Waymos operations in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin with human driving in the same areas and years. Waymo logged about 50 million driverless miles during the study period; human drivers traveled about 222 billion miles in those locations.

The results varied by city. Waymos crash involvement rate was 76% lower than the human-driver rate in Phoenix, 71% lower in Los Angeles, and 35% lower in San Francisco. In Austin, it was 4% higher, though IIHS cautioned that the sample there was relatively small.

The study concerns crash involvement, which includes incidents a Waymo vehicle may not have caused. It also applies to Waymos driverless vehicles under the conditions in which they operated. It does not establish that every self-driving system is safer than a human driver. The driver-assistance features available in many personal vehicles still require an attentive driver and are a different type of technology.

Why crashes are hard to compare

Companies operating self-driving vehicles generally must report incidents that ordinary drivers might never report to police. To make a more comparable measure, IIHS researchers reviewed federal crash reports and assessed which incidents a reasonable person would likely have reported. They estimated that only 22% of 736 reported crashes involving automated vehicles on public roads met that standard.

The researchers could calculate a driverless crash rate for Waymo because it voluntarily provides data on miles traveled without a driver. Other companies do not have to disclose comparable mileage, making their crash rates difficult to assess.

That gap matters as robotaxi services grow. IIHS said the current reporting system does not provide a practical way to keep comparing automated vehicles with human drivers at a larger scale. The Waymo findings are encouraging, the researchers said, but consistent crash and mileage data will be needed to see whether that safety record continues.

Streaming is cheaper, but cable and satellite providers are improving their ratings

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Customer satisfaction with cable and satellite TV rose 18 points from a year earlier, according to a new JD Power study.

• Live TV streaming still costs $41 less per month on average, though its price rose $5 over the past year.

• Verizon Fios led traditional TV providers, while YouTube TV ranked highest among live TV streaming services.

Remember when conventional wisdom held that streaming would render traditional television networks obsolete? Well, its not working out that way.

Cable and satellite television customers are becoming more satisfied with their service, even as live TV streaming remains the less expensive choice, according to JD Powers 2026 U.S. Television Service Provider Satisfaction Study.

Overall satisfaction with cable and satellite service rose 18 points from a year earlier, reaching 549 on JD Powers 1,000-point scale. Ratings improved across every area the study measured, including value, service quality, trust, and problem resolution.

Live TV streaming scored higher overall, at 627, but that was down three points from a year earlier. JD Power said streaming satisfaction has been relatively flat since 2024, while traditional providers have made steady gains.

Streaming still holds some advantages

Price remains a major reason to consider streaming. Live TV streaming costs $41 less per month than cable or satellite service on average, the study found. That difference amounts to $492 over a year, although streaming prices rose $5 per month from the previous year.

Streaming also held a 99-point advantage in satisfaction with the value customers receive for the price they pay.

Carl Lepper, a senior director at JD Power, said traditional providers have improved customers perceptions of affordability, narrowing a satisfaction gap that once appeared much wider.

Among traditional TV providers, Verizon Fios ranked first for the second straight year with a score of 586. Spectrum followed at 564, above the segment average of 549. YouTube TV led live TV streaming for the fourth consecutive year with a score of 643, compared with the segment average of 627.

For consumers reviewing their TV bills, the findings offer a reason to compare the full cost of available services. A lower advertised monthly price may change after adding the channels, features or equipment a household wants. Customer satisfaction scores, meanwhile, reflect subscribers experiences; they do not establish which provider will be the best fit for every household.

Two lots sold at Walmart stores nationwide are affected

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Gias Foods is recalling two lots of frozen bettergoods Authentic Italian Lemon Alfredo Fettuccine sold at Walmart stores nationwide.

• The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses had been reported when the recall was announced.

• Shoppers can check the lot number on the back of the package and return affected products for a full refund.

Gias Foods has recalled two lots of bettergoods Authentic Italian Lemon Alfredo Fettuccine after state testing found that the frozen pasta may contain Listeria monocytogenes, according to a company announcement posted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The recalled pasta was sold at Walmart stores nationwide in 22-ounce yellow plastic packages. Shoppers should look for UPC 194346442706 and lot number L6079C or L6080C. The affected packages have an expiration date of Sept. 19, 2027, or Sept. 20, 2027, stamped on the back.

Gias Foods announced the recall Sept. 15. It said no illnesses had been reported at that time. The potential contamination was identified through routine sampling by agriculture officials in Washington state and Florida. The company said it had stopped distributing the product while it and the FDA investigated the cause.

Risks of listeria

Listeria can cause serious illness, particularly in older adults, young children, and people with weakened immune systems. Infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth.

Symptoms can include fever, headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

Consumers who have a package from either recalled lot should return it to the store where they bought it for a full refund. Questions can be sent to sales@giasfoods.com or directed to Gias Foods at 917-675-4890.

The company is getting complaints from non-customers

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Residents near Amazons drone delivery hub in Richardson, Texas, say repeated flights are disrupting their neighborhoods.

• A drone crash and a package dropped into a swimming pool have raised questions about safety and delivery accuracy.

• Amazon has changed some flight paths and raised outbound flight altitudes, but residents continue to raise concerns about noise and privacy.

Amazon promises to deliver small orders by drone in as little as 30 minutes. In parts of Texas, the service is also bringing a steady stream of aircraft over homes whose occupants never placed an order.

The sharpest complaints have come from Richardson, a Dallas suburb where Amazon began drone deliveries in December. Residents have described frequent flights over yards and pools, with one residents tracker logging 52 overflights on a single day, according to The New York Times. The City of Richardson has acknowledged complaints about flight paths and noise.

Amazon responded to feedback by routing some outbound flights over a commercial area, reducing flights over one greenway, and raising the average altitude of outbound flights to 225 feet, the city said in March. Those changes have not settled the question for residents who hear multiple drones pass their homes each day.

Safety is also a concern

Safety has also drawn attention. In February, an Amazon delivery drone struck a Richardson apartment building, causing minor damage. Amazon said it was investigating the crash.

In a separate incident near Houston, a customer said a drone dropped a package containing cat food and shoe insoles into her swimming pool. She told Business Insider the contents were undamaged, but the delivery and the drones noise left her reluctant to use the service again.

Some Richardson residents worry about cameras passing over private property. Amazon says its drones use onboard cameras and sensors to navigate and check delivery areas for obstacles. The company says they do not track individuals or record their movements, and that no person monitors a live camera feed.

The company's position

Amazon disputes the idea that complaints represent the typical experience. It told The New York Times that fewer than 1% of inquiries about the program this year concerned noise. The company says a drone at flight altitude sounds comparable to a window fan on low and that the sound during delivery lasts about 30 seconds.

The dispute matters beyond Richardson. Amazon says its service now operates from 11 U.S. locations, including four in Texas, and plans to reach nearly 500 cities and towns by the end of 2026. Its experience in Texas is testing whether the convenience of a fast delivery for one household can coexist with the expectations of neighbors beneath the flight path.

Before accepting a higher-paying job, calculate what getting there will actually cost you

• Nearly half of workers have turned down a job partly because of the commute, according to a new Monster survey.

• 32% say they'd need at least 20% more pay to accept a job with a commute 20 minutes longer than they'd prefer.

• Don't compare salaries alone, as gas, vehicle expenses, parking, tolls, and hours spent commuting can dramatically reduce the value of a raise.

Would you leave a $70,000-a-year job for one paying $80,000? An extra $10,000 sounds like an easy yes.

But what if that new job adds 40 minutes of commuting every day? Suddenly, the math isn't quite so simple.

A new Monster survey of 1,005 employed U.S. adults found 49% have turned down a job opportunity at least partly because of commuting costs or length.

And nearly one-third said they'd require at least 20% more pay to accept a job with a commute just 20 minutes longer than they'd prefer.

So before accepting a bigger paycheck, figure out what that commute is actually going to cost you.

Turn the commute into an annual number

Let's say your new job adds 20 minutes each way. That's comes out to an additional 40 minutes a day.

Over five days, that's 200 minutes a week. Multiply that by 52 weeks and you're looking at roughly 173 additional hours a year in the car.

That's more than four 40-hour workweeks. Suddenly that $10,000 raise isn't simply $10,000 for doing another job. You're also giving your employer the equivalent of several extra workweeks of your time just getting there.

Calculate what your car is costing you

Gas is the obvious expense, but it's not the only one.

More driving also means more frequent oil changes, tires, brakes, maintenance, and depreciation.

As a point of reference, the IRS increased its optional business mileage rate to 76 cents per mile starting July 1, 2026. That rate reflects both fixed and variable vehicle costs.

While you can't deduct your normal commute using that rate, it helps to provide a useful reminder that driving costs considerably more than just gasoline.

If the new job adds 30 miles of driving per day, that's roughly 7,500 additional miles over 250 workdays.

Even at 50 cents per mile, that's $3,750 a year in additional vehicle costs. And we haven't even included other costs like parking or tolls.

Remember that you don't keep the entire raise

Here's another mistake that's easy to make: A $10,000 raise doesn't put another $10,000 into your checking account. Federal and state income taxes and payroll taxes can reduce the additional take-home pay.

So, be sure to compare the estimated increase in your take-home pay with your additional commuting costs not the headline salary increase.

If the raise adds $600 a month to your take-home pay but commuting costs another $350, the job effectively gives you only another $250 a month before accounting for your time.

That's a very different decision.

Put a price on your time

How much is an additional hour away from home worth to you? If a longer commute consumes 173 hours a year and you value your free time at $25 an hour, that's another $4,325 worth of your time.

You don't have to literally subtract that amount from your salary, but its smart to recognize what you're actually giving up.

Those hours could have been spent with your kids, exercising, making dinner, sleeping, or simply doing something other than staring at brake lights.

Negotiate the commute, not just the salary

If you like the job but hate the commute, salary isn't your only bargaining chip.

Ask about working from home one or two days a week, flexible hours that let you avoid rush hour, parking reimbursement, transit benefits, or other commuting assistance.

Monster found 68% of workers believe employers should help offset commuting costs for at least some employees required to work on-site.

Even one work-from-home day per week cuts your commute by roughly 20%.

Pro tip: Before accepting an offer, actually drive the route during the hours you'd be commuting. A mapping app saying "35 minutes" and sitting in Monday morning traffic can be two very different experiences.

Find your break-even salary

Before saying yes, ask yourself one question: How much more would this job need to pay me to make the commute worthwhile?

Add up your additional vehicle costs, tolls, and parking. Estimate your additional take-home pay. Then consider how many hours of your life the commute will consume.

That $10,000 raise may still be a great deal. But once you do the math, you might discover you need $15,000 or $20,000 more to make changing jobs worthwhile.

Sometimes the best-paying job isn't the one with the biggest salary. It's the one that leaves you with the most money (and time) when that 5 oclock smile hits.